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I would say that your sample is flawed. RugbyPlayingAshaman Send a noteboard - 18/12/2009 05:02:02 PM
The Tower isn't skewed towards stronger or weaker women - it is skewed towards women who sought it out.

It makes sense to me that so many of the channelers that came after the Novice books were opened were stronger than the average Sister - the Tower's population never had the strongest channelers; it had females who shared certain ideals and personality types.

This would be like trying to figure out the average IQ of the American population by testing a representative sample of the American Bar Association; sure many of them will be very smart and intelligent in whichever measure would be reflected on the IQ test but the broader population of the country would contain many smarter people who never went into the legal field by the virtue of having more members.

In terms of channeler strength, another factor keeps coming to mind, in my opinion - too weak to test for the Shawl is a very different thing than being too weak to make a good Aes Sedai, so their standards need updating as well. Berowin, for example, has such a Talent in Shielding, despite her overall weakness, that you might as well throw out most of the usual estimations as to who can Shield who - she could hold Moghedien at the point in the story we saw her, and with her lack of struggle holding Nynaeve, she may be able to hold more powerful women, as well.

Here is my alternative answer: The women occupying the 50% mark (ie: the elusive average female channeler) is busy in the world raising children, running businesses and minding her own business most likely with a block preventing her from channeling if she had the ability inborn or no training to bring it out with absolutely no interest to become an Aes Sedai in the first place. Even with the Novice books open we are only seeing the segment of the population that wants to be affiliated with the White Tower.
"Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness."
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The One Power Bell Curve: Proof that it is not centered on 50% of the strongest channeler's strength - 18/12/2009 08:37:55 AM 1315 Views
I always thought the curve was one sided - 18/12/2009 01:17:32 PM 723 Views
I would say that your sample is flawed. - 18/12/2009 05:02:02 PM 805 Views
well said *NM* - 18/12/2009 05:12:40 PM 378 Views
It doesn't matter... - 18/12/2009 10:02:38 PM 658 Views
But, it sort of does. - 18/12/2009 10:43:08 PM 706 Views
So you're saying that no modern Aes Sedai are even of average strength? - 18/12/2009 10:51:01 PM 784 Views
Are you sure it's the same bell curve from the AoL? - 18/12/2009 11:11:19 PM 749 Views
The Tower is restricted to the middle... - 18/12/2009 05:35:03 PM 872 Views
Two things... - 18/12/2009 09:28:25 PM 718 Views
The culling theory... - 18/12/2009 09:36:34 PM 646 Views
The culling theory applies to the ENTIRE population, not just Aes Sedai... - 18/12/2009 09:42:31 PM 770 Views
Yes, but Aes Sedai take it to a new level... - 18/12/2009 09:48:59 PM 834 Views
Re: Yes, but Aes Sedai take it to a new level... - 18/12/2009 10:06:15 PM 639 Views
Several more things... - 18/12/2009 11:26:19 PM 815 Views
You don't understand your own model... - 18/12/2009 11:38:05 PM 823 Views
So RJ was wrong about Bell Curve distribution? - 19/12/2009 06:03:24 PM 731 Views
Re: So RJ was wrong about Bell Curve distribution? - 19/12/2009 06:10:52 PM 688 Views
Its simple really... - 19/12/2009 06:15:23 PM 702 Views
Age-Related Sample Bias - 18/12/2009 06:41:03 PM 674 Views
A thought that occured to me, and I'd like your opinion... - 18/12/2009 07:38:29 PM 669 Views
Well Sharina isn't a sparker and she's the strongest AS - 18/12/2009 07:57:17 PM 676 Views
Yes... - 18/12/2009 08:01:57 PM 766 Views
Is it just my bad memory or is one of the wondergirls not a sparker? - 18/12/2009 10:12:59 PM 661 Views
I think it's just a bad memory... - 18/12/2009 10:19:25 PM 656 Views
Easier sulution, and real example. - 18/12/2009 10:03:20 PM 710 Views
And that is indeed the solution I feel most comfortable with... - 18/12/2009 10:08:40 PM 684 Views
Re: And that is indeed the solution I feel most comfortable with... - 19/12/2009 11:39:31 AM 923 Views
Agree, but a little more curvy is better - 19/12/2009 11:17:16 PM 613 Views
*facepalm* - 18/12/2009 10:13:16 PM 712 Views
That's just the normalized value graphed on a log scale. - 19/12/2009 11:20:41 PM 669 Views
Dude, Seriously? - 18/12/2009 10:19:25 PM 708 Views
Indeed, and that's why I propose that... - 18/12/2009 10:31:23 PM 689 Views
Yes, "Bell Curve" does not mean Gausian. Or normal distribution. - 19/12/2009 11:24:10 PM 670 Views
It does to RJ - 20/12/2009 03:12:30 PM 754 Views
Yes, "Bell Curve" does not mean Gausian. Or normal distribution. - 19/12/2009 11:24:11 PM 644 Views
That's because outliers in IQ tests are excluded form the curve. *NM* - 18/12/2009 11:31:23 PM 399 Views
Really?!?! then what is the definition of a IQ of 200? - 19/12/2009 11:28:18 PM 982 Views
You can have IQ's above that... - 20/12/2009 05:09:44 AM 693 Views
I said that in the other post and was half torn to pieces *NM* - 19/12/2009 11:38:25 AM 348 Views
Eh. Ignore the IQ value and draw it on a linear weight scale - 19/12/2009 11:26:23 PM 659 Views
Re: The One Power Bell Curve: Proof that it is not centered on 50% of the strongest channeler's stre - 19/12/2009 06:02:34 PM 628 Views
I like this idea - 20/12/2009 04:01:28 PM 835 Views
Accidental Post *NM* - 20/12/2009 07:11:09 PM 395 Views
Mathmatically this is very close to the system I proposed in another thread - 27/12/2009 01:23:51 AM 633 Views
Re: The One Power Bell Curve: - 27/12/2009 10:05:33 PM 775 Views
What makes you think Alviarin is "middling"? - 27/12/2009 10:28:13 PM 984 Views
Re: What makes you think Alviarin is "middling"? - 28/12/2009 03:19:14 PM 678 Views
Re: What makes you think Alviarin is "middling"? - 28/12/2009 03:30:44 PM 876 Views

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